1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a disk misinsertion prevention mechanism of a disk apparatus that can record and reproduce data in and from a disk as a recording medium, such as a digital versatile disk (DVD), and a disk apparatus that includes the disk misinsertion prevention mechanism.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, an electronic apparatus such as a television receiver, which includes therein a disk apparatus into which a flat disk such as a compact disk recordable (CD-R) is inserted, and which can record and reproduce data such as voice and video data in and from the disk has been employed. In recent years, in view of reducing a thickness of the apparatus or reducing the number of components, not a tray type disk apparatus configured so that a disk is mounted on a tray to be carried into a predetermined position of the disk apparatus but a so-called slot-in type disk apparatus configured so that a disk is directly inserted into the disk apparatus has become popular. The slot-in type disk apparatus has, however, the following disadvantages. Once the disk is inserted into the disk apparatus, a user or the like cannot confirm thereafter whether or not the disk is stored in the disk apparatus unless the user or the like operates an eject button or the like for discharging the disk. The operation is quite cumbersome. In addition, in case of the slot-in type disk apparatus, it is normally possible to always insert a part of the disk from an insertion section whether or not the disk is arranged within the disk apparatus. For this reason, if a different new disk is to be erroneously inserted into the disk apparatus while a disk is already stored in the apparatus, the different new disk may possibly contact with a member within the disk apparatus or with the previously inserted disk to thereby damage a surface of the disk.
To solve these disadvantages, a disk misinsertion prevention apparatus configured so that a second misinsertion prevention protrusion is protruded or retreated at a disk insertion port so as to prevent misinsertion of a new disk after a disk is already stored in a disk apparatus is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-260316. In addition, a disk apparatus that includes a disk detection mechanism of a disk player for detecting insertion of a disk and discriminating whether the disk is any one of two types of disks, i.e., a larger disk or a smaller disk which differ in diameter is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-228903.
However, the disk misinsertion prevention apparatus disclosed in the Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-260316 has the following disadvantage. It is true that the second misinsertion prevention protrusion can prevent misinsertion of another new disk after a disk is already stored in the disk apparatus and can prevent a failure such as a damage of the disk. Nevertheless, the second misinsertion prevention protrusion simply includes a function of preventing disk misinsertion. Further, the technique disclosed in the Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-228903 has the following disadvantage. Although the disk detection mechanism can discriminate whether the disk is a larger disk or a smaller disk different in diameter, a mechanism for preventing disk misinsertion is neither disclosed nor suggested in this document.